Action Film Conventions and Iconography

Given its physical nature this genre lends itself to action rather than extensive dialogue. Over the years action films have dominated the box office with many blockbusters which brought in millions of pounds to its directors and producers. There is a broad age range which action film directors will target and they tend to be aimed at a more male audience. This can be explained by male teenagers and their love of action films as they can escape from normal life and elude restrictions that adults put upon them but on the other hand, older people like watching action films like James Bond etc because they can enter a fantastical world where anything is possible. One of the reasons they were aimed at men is because the women were shown as objects of attraction like in the James Bond series. The James Bond series now replicates changes in social attitudes with women now entering a more intelligent role. Also women are fast becoming the people with the power in films such as the lead character in Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (2001)and Elektra (2005) which will open up the action film genre to a whole new female audience. The reason they are unique is because instead of men doing all the fighting and all the action sequences, as in normal action films, these women break the mould by being central to any action involved in their respective films.
The contemporary action film encompasses these certain aspects somewhere in the film: car chases, fast cuts, fist fights and elaborate action sequences.
Conventions you will probably find in any action film of any era are:
Time ticking down
A race to kill/save somebody
Love interest
Blood
Close ups
High emotion moments
Car chases
And a general fast paced feel throughout
Missions to be accomplished/ trials to be endured.

Action films can also include characters such as a maverick cop Dirty Harry released in 1971, and now some action films are starting to have a sci fi element to them Day After Tomorrow (2004) and War Of The Worlds (2005).

Action Films have certain iconography included in the films of that genre.
Gadgets - James Bond Films, Mission Impossible III (2006), The Hitman (1991).
Guns and various weaponry - A Man Apart (2003), Children Of Men (2006), Wanted (2008).
Fast Cars - Fast & Furious (2009), Bond Films, Taxi 2 (2000).
Explosions - Rambo: First Blood (1982), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), Man On Fire (2004).